The Department of Transportation’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) reported today that its Freight Transportation Services Index (TSI) rose 0.4 percent in July, following a 0.2 increase in June.

According to BTS officials, the Freight TSI measures the month-to-month changes in freight shipments in ton-miles, which are then combined into one index. The index measures the output of the for-hire freight transportation industry and consists of data from for-hire trucking, rail, inland waterways, pipelines and air freight.

The BTS also noted that the Freight TSI at 98.2 was up 2.5 percent year-over-year. July’s Freight TSI is down 13.0 percent from its historic peak of 112.9 in May 2006.

While the Freight TSI is up 2.5 percent year-over-year, the BTS said it is below the level of every other July since 1997’s 94.8. BTS added that the Freight TSI has exceeded the previous year’s level every month since January but it is still below the level of recent earlier years.

The Freight TSI is down 11.1 percent since July 2005 and is down 0.6 percent since July 2000, according to the BTS.

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